Opposition parties urge President to intervene in NRC issue

New Delhi: A delegation of opposition parties on Thursday met President Ram Nath Kovind and urged him to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

In a memorandum submitted to the President, the opposition parties accused the BJP-led Central government of “deliberately attempting to undermine the nation’s democratic and secular values”.

“The aftermath of the NRC 2018 is one example of the ruling dispensation threatening and attempting to ruin the nation’s great Institutions like the Constitution, the Parliament, the judiciary and the media.

“As the custodian of these great institutions, we appeal and urge upon you to ensure that not a single Indian citizen is excluded from the NRC list in Assam,” it said.

Among other leaders in the delegation were former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda, Anand Sharma from Congress, Farooq Abdullah from National Conference and Ram Gopal Yadav from Samajwadi Party.

The memorandum said the NRC had resulted in the exclusion of over 40 lakh Indian citizens including Bengalis, Assamese, Rajasthanis, Marwaris, Biharis, Gorkhas, Punjabis, many tribals and Indian citizens from the four southern states who are residents of Assam for a very long time.

“This NRC list has not even spared excluding some brave soldiers, ex-Rashtrapati-Ji’s families, a former Chief Minister and other elected representatives, prominent members of civil society as well as the poor and marginalised,” it said.

“Serious anomalies in the preparation of the list have torn several families apart, destroying our social fabric,” it added.